The pen is mightier

  • Published
  • By Col. John Millard
  • 60th Operations Group commander
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  In 1839 Edward Bulwer-Lytton wrote a play titled "The Conspiracy," but not many have heard of Bulwer-Lytton or his play. However, we have all heard the famous quote, "the pen is mightier than the sword," from "The Conspiracy." What exactly does that quote mean? How can a pen be stronger than a sword? Today I'd like to offer an answer by reflecting on historic precedent.

As Airmen, we collectively lean toward the sword; it's ingrained in our history. We study the development of airpower from its origins through WWI, Korea and Desert Storm. We love to see videos of our fellow Airmen in action with aircraft flying and accomplishing our mission. Whether it's a symbol of strength with B-52 Stratofortresses overhead as an iron fist or our C-5s delivering hope and aid to citizens in New York, our aircraft, our Airmen, and our sword seem much stronger than a writing utensil. At Travis we create global reach and as proven by the operational readiness inspection, are excellent at airlift, air refueling and aeromedical evacuation.

However, our pen is mightier than the sword in many ways. The pen empowers our citizens and Airmen and enables them to express ideas and influence others. Throughout our history the pen fashioned the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution which we've sworn to defend, and our Air Force core values of integrity first, service before self and excellence in all we do. As Airmen and, more importantly, as leaders we are creating history. As Air Force leaders it is our responsibility to use the pen wisely.

First, your signature is a symbol of personal integrity. Never take your signature lightly, it is a direct reflection of you, it's your name. Whatever you write in an email or a letter are your thoughts and actions. When you sign that report it is your commitment to the truth. When our founding fathers signed the Declaration of Independence it was treason to the king and punishable by death. Consider the level of commitment our forefathers had to affixing their names to that document.

Second, your pen must exude excellence. Before you hit send on that email or sign that memorandum for record, was it in accordance with the tongue and quill? Was it the best product or solution you could provide to your Airmen or supervisor? Have you ever opened an email or letter and immediately saw blaring errors? Was it hard to focus on the substance of the correspondence? Bottom line, what you write implicates you as a professional and it can also have the opposite effect.

Third, your pen can exemplify service before self. As a leader and mentor, use your pen to take care of your Airmen. What you write down and say about your Airmen will affect them for the rest of their lives. They are your warriors and you must capture their actions in history. Use the pen to transform, shape, and take care of your Airmen through their officer performance reports, enlisted performance reports, decorations and awards. Travis just had the Annual Awards banquet where we recognized our great Airmen. But behind each winner was a supervisor who took the time to write about their incredible Airman. On that night, the pen was truly mightier than the sword. As we look toward tackling future challenges, consider how you communicate. Which method would you choose, the pen or the sword?